Deputy President William Ruto on Tuesday inflicted a fresh political blow on opposition chief Raila Odinga when, once again, his hand showed in the last-minute withdrawal of the Orange Democratic Party from the Wajir West by-election.

The ODM withdrew from the race to save face after learning that the party’s candidate, Prof Mohamed Elmi, had decamped to Jubilee Party.

Hours later, Prof Elmi announced his defection in the company of the Deputy President at the latter’s residence in Karen, Nairobi.

The ODM director of elections, Mr Junet Mohamed, had announced in a communication to members that the party would not participate in the upcoming Wajir West by-elections scheduled for April 25 “as earlier announced”.

MEETING

He said the party had arrived at the decision following consultations with the top leadership of the Jubilee Party, “during which we agreed to reciprocate Jubilee’s earlier decision to withdraw from the Migori, Ugenya and Embakasi South by-elections”.

Related Content ODM pulls out of Wajir West poll Raila’s ODM party at a cross-roads after election loss The latest political blow to ODM came hot on the heels of the party’s loss in the Embakasi South and Ugenya by-elections, and was a double blow to the Orange Party after its immediate former Wajir West MP, Mr Mohamed Kolosh, defected to Jubilee Party in February and was received by the DP.

The Nation learnt that former presidential adviser Abdikadir Mohamed, MPs Rashid Kassim (Wajir East), Ahmed Bashane (Tarbaj), Adan Keynan (Eldas), nominated senator Fariya Haji and Governor Abdi Muhamud played a key role in convincing Prof Elmi to decamp to Jubilee. The Degodia community elders are said to have started talks last week that led to Prof Elmi’s withdrawal.

“We must bring to an end the marginalisation song. We therefore must define a clear pathway of how to get out of it; let us manage our politics so that it can focus on changing the lives of our people,” he said.

Last Friday, President Kenyatta met Mr Kolosh and National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale at State House in Nairobi and exuded confidence that his party would win the seat.

“We assured our party leader that North Eastern is a Jubilee territory, and we shall mobilise wananchi and members of our party in Wajir West so as to deliver the seat to our party,” Mr Duale said after the meeting.

ODM LOSSES

He said as President Kenyatta continues “uniting the nation and building a strong national brand called Jubilee, Kenyans from all tribes, regions and religions can now call it their party of choice”.

The Jubilee Party leaders have been bragging after ODM lost last Friday’s Embakasi South and Ugenya by-elections, areas perceived to have been its stronghold.

The DP and his allies said the losses were a sign of what would happen in the 2022 polls, saying they would show their rivals dust.